Premium travel surge for Emirates as leisure takes off

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Emirates has reported an uptick in demand for premium travel as a growing number of travellers prioritise luxury and comfort for long-haul journeys. The Dubai-based carrier said bookings were up 15% for Premium Economy, 4% for Business Class, and 6% for First Class. To meet this soaring demand for Premium Economy services, the airline is offering Premium Economy on two daily services from Sydney, two daily services from Melbourne, and a daily service from Brisbane. A third daily Melbourne service is set to launch on 30 March 2025. “The Australian appetite for travel remains incredibly strong in 2025, with nearly 120,000 Emirates passengers expected to fly to Europe for summer sun this year,” Barry Brown, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President for Australasia said. “Our open jaw itineraries are proving particularly popular this year, allowing passengers to seamlessly fly into one destination and out of another, further expanding the opportunity for travel and adventure.” These trends have become clear as Emirates experiences a significant surge in demand for travel to Europe during Australia’s winter months. The airline highlighted this year’s top winter destinations for Australians as London, Dublin, Rome, Athens, Paris, Edinburgh, Barcelona, and Lisbon. Additionally, there has been an increase in bookings to Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria during the European summer period, compared to the same time last year. The increase in demand is largely attributed to leisure travellers with 43% of bookings accounted for by couples and 25% by families. Dubai remains a key hub for global connectivity, with Emirates recording continued growth in stopover travel, with over 41,000 visitors from Australasia in the first month of 2025 alone.

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